First, I'd like to clear up something. My brother was born Arlo Joseph Stubblefield. Born in Louisville Ky in 1973 to our parents Janet and Jay Stubblefield. This site has him listed as a member of the Johnson family, but this is not true. My brother met a man named Art Johnson when he was in his 20's. Arlo was looking to begin again, to remove himself from his true self and so began a surrogate relationship with Art Johnson who he himself had lost contact with his own biological adult children. I never met the Johnson family. But I do know my brother...perhaps better than any other soul on this earth. And so I'd like to say a few things about the big brother I adored so much.
Arlo and I were born in the same hospital and were delivered by the same ob/gyn in Lousiville Ky. We lived across the river in Jeffersonville In. We were born into a incredibly mentally-ill family. Our parents had multiple behavioral issues and most likely each had mulitple diagnosis ranging from narcissism, depression,sexual misconduct and behaviors, violence, fits of rage, manic ups and downs. Our home was abusive and horribly dysfunctional to say the least. Arlo was mistreated or neglected by all members of our family...I say this because even those family members who did not directly abuse us knew enough to condone action, but no one ever reached out a hand to help remove my brother or I from harm. We were failed repeatedly by our family, schools and community. Most people just chose to look the other way,and those who did speak out were met by our fathers rage and intimidation.
Through this traumatic childhood Arlo tried to shield me as best as he, a child, could. Being male and four years older Arlo took the brunt of the physical abuse. He was also exposed to our father for a longer period of time. By the time Arlo was 9yrs old he has begun to split mentally. I watched as my older brother became more and more paranoid and confused. He had developed early onset schizophrenia by the time he was 10.Teachers and staff at his school became aware of his delusional thinking and approached my parents about it. I don't know why the school dropped the issue after my parents did not get him treatment he needed, but the issue was dropped and never brought up again.
Arlo fell into all the stereotypical behaviors of an abused schizophrenic with no support system. These behaviors led him into criminal activity and eventually into sexual assault. It was when Arlo was arrested the first time for major crimes that I lost contact with him. He was arrested two days after our mother passed away...the day of her memorial to be exact. I felt I had already lost my brother. It was 13 yrs before I had contact with Arlo again via letters mailed to the county jail he was being housed at during his life sentence.(60yrs) We wrote for three months before he committed suicide June 3rd. He was being moved to face federal charges and could not handle going back to federal prison. I do not blame Arlo for his decision.
Now all that being said....let me say this.
Arlo was beautiful! He had an innocence that stayed with him to the end. Despite his confusion about being in this world and his place in it, he had a kindness in him that kept him alive. He wanted to be loved like any human and wanted to give love to others. Arlo could do anything he put his mind to. Snowboarding, skating, dancing. He was amazing at all of these things. He was an amazing baseball player growing up and could have gone pro had he been interested enough in the sport. He did not know it, but he had such an insightful wisdom, a true raw intelligence. He understood so much more than knew about the world and those who inhabit it. He was an amazing big brother. My best friend. We ha a trauma bond much like war buddies who've been through "it" together. There is nothing like it.
I love my brother. And I will miss him everyday. And I will continue to make it my mission to help our communities understand mental illness and what it looks like and how to properly respond and support those individuals living with it
I love you Arlo!
-Lil Sista Jessi
Arlo and I were born in the same hospital and were delivered by the same ob/gyn in Lousiville Ky. We lived across the river in Jeffersonville In. We were born into a incredibly mentally-ill family. Our parents had multiple behavioral issues and most likely each had mulitple diagnosis ranging from narcissism, depression,sexual misconduct and behaviors, violence, fits of rage, manic ups and downs. Our home was abusive and horribly dysfunctional to say the least. Arlo was mistreated or neglected by all members of our family...I say this because even those family members who did not directly abuse us knew enough to condone action, but no one ever reached out a hand to help remove my brother or I from harm. We were failed repeatedly by our family, schools and community. Most people just chose to look the other way,and those who did speak out were met by our fathers rage and intimidation.
Through this traumatic childhood Arlo tried to shield me as best as he, a child, could. Being male and four years older Arlo took the brunt of the physical abuse. He was also exposed to our father for a longer period of time. By the time Arlo was 9yrs old he has begun to split mentally. I watched as my older brother became more and more paranoid and confused. He had developed early onset schizophrenia by the time he was 10.Teachers and staff at his school became aware of his delusional thinking and approached my parents about it. I don't know why the school dropped the issue after my parents did not get him treatment he needed, but the issue was dropped and never brought up again.
Arlo fell into all the stereotypical behaviors of an abused schizophrenic with no support system. These behaviors led him into criminal activity and eventually into sexual assault. It was when Arlo was arrested the first time for major crimes that I lost contact with him. He was arrested two days after our mother passed away...the day of her memorial to be exact. I felt I had already lost my brother. It was 13 yrs before I had contact with Arlo again via letters mailed to the county jail he was being housed at during his life sentence.(60yrs) We wrote for three months before he committed suicide June 3rd. He was being moved to face federal charges and could not handle going back to federal prison. I do not blame Arlo for his decision.
Now all that being said....let me say this.
Arlo was beautiful! He had an innocence that stayed with him to the end. Despite his confusion about being in this world and his place in it, he had a kindness in him that kept him alive. He wanted to be loved like any human and wanted to give love to others. Arlo could do anything he put his mind to. Snowboarding, skating, dancing. He was amazing at all of these things. He was an amazing baseball player growing up and could have gone pro had he been interested enough in the sport. He did not know it, but he had such an insightful wisdom, a true raw intelligence. He understood so much more than knew about the world and those who inhabit it. He was an amazing big brother. My best friend. We ha a trauma bond much like war buddies who've been through "it" together. There is nothing like it.
I love my brother. And I will miss him everyday. And I will continue to make it my mission to help our communities understand mental illness and what it looks like and how to properly respond and support those individuals living with it
I love you Arlo!
-Lil Sista Jessi
